Asher Perculeone
Personality At first glance, Asher is well-composed, quiet, and almost shy until he smiles at you. Though he tries not to be most times, he is very expressive and the purity of his remaining eye gives away any emotion that his face may not. He is well-read, greatly enjoys reading history (as well as writing it), and is quite the poet and philosopher. He's also been most notably described as loyal, resourceful, courageous, conservative, and chivalrous - a determined, well-trained soldier with a very clear sense of right and wrong. Though he does have a temper, it takes the correct kind of provocation for it to arise - typically if involves the invasion of his personal space and/or remarks about his background. Religiously devout, he is no Bible-thumper and has a somewhat liberal view considering his denomination (Roman Catholic), he has been described as wise, with a surprising wit and sense of humour when it suits him. The resolve in his gaze has reportedly brought even the most stalwart Alpha to his knees - Asher is fearless when he truly believes in what he is fighting for, but his own passion is probably what frightens him most. Background Born Eischer Dmitrii Perlitov in 1902 in a small village outside of Moscow, Russia, Asher's family were poor in wealth yet rich in faith and love for each other. His home life was fairly strict, his parents fairly stoic, but they did what they had to survive. His older, half brother, Mikhail Abram Perlitov, was born four years before, his father having been murdered over a gambling debt. Asher's mother was later forced to remarry as she was unable to make ends meet, and being a widow meant a step down in status and almost certain doom for the family. Little did she know, that the quiet, reclusive young man she had grown to love was a werewolf who managed to keep his secret from them for years to come, though Asher's mother, being a clever woman, was always suspect. She loved him too much to comment. Later, their luck turned around when a wealthy baron took in Asher's family as labourers on his estate. The baron's family turned out to be kind and understanding folk, and unable to have children themselves, treated the Perlitovs as their own. The wife, having been a former governess from England, even taught Mikail and young Eischer English, Arithmetic, and History. It wasn't until the death of Asher's sickly, 3-year-old sister that their luck began to turn and tensions began to rise in the family. Mikail was called away to fight in the Great War and the baron was quickly losing money due to crumbling investments, which meant that the Perlitov's would lose the home they had worked so hard for and had grown to love. Meanwhile, Asher had developed a fondness for a beautiful young chambermaid who seemed to share his affectation. They became close friends and tempted lovers, but having both been raised religiously, they decided to save themselves for their wedding night. Unfortunately, Asher had been undergoing some strange changes shortly before and in a moment of sharply developing senses, he detected the traces of other men on her body, thus triggering a blinding rage he had never before known. When he finally awoke from the darkness, blanketed in his girl's viscera, the body next to him hardly decipherable, and not knowing what else to do, Asher escaped into the wilderness for fear of his life. The following years have become a troubling void in his life. Days, weeks, months melded together in an abominable mass. His savage wolf had become the dominant personality, and a confused and frightened young Asher only seemed to resurface approaching the arrival of the New Moon. He became well known for grisly murders all across Russia as he quickly moved from village to village, avoiding the larger, more developed areas. People saw his human form as a phantom, and his werewolf form as a monster lurking in the dark, unknown woods. Eventually he was caught by a group of werewolf hunters who, instead of killing him, sold the feral creature to a circus as part of their sideshow. Lucky for Asher, this circus was unique in that most of the freaks who worked there were also creatures of the night who were strong enough to put up with his aggression and patient enough to lure the timid, human personality back into domination. Asher graduated from sideshow freak to main attraction, using his superior strength to lift heavy objects and perform acrobatics. Though he was still lonely, he gained the habit of keeping to himself, fearing that his wolf may turn on anyone who became close enough to him. Years went by, and Asher began to debate leaving his adopted family to venture into the world once again, when fate made the decision for him. A band of gypsies had developed a certain dislike for the circus and its leader for reasons that still remain unclear to Asher. Sneaking into the compound late one night, they set fire to the tents and animal cages. Asher and the others tried their best to douse the flames and take down the marauding gypsies but they were ready for them and Asher received his first silver poisoning from a bullet lodged in his thigh. Mad with fear and rage, the beast escaped into the wilderness once again, and here ended the life of Eischer Dmitrii Perlitov. By the time, he had recovered from his ordeal, having to remove the bullet himself, barely surviving on the carcass of a rotting deer, he had decided to start a new life as Asher Volkov and enlisted in the Russian military under that name. He trained as a nurse for several years as they were greatly needed at the time, until the temptation to devour his patients became too much for him, and he demanded a position in the field after feigning a weak constitution. By then, World War II was looming and the whole of Europe was gearing up for it. Germany and the Soviet Union began their skirmishes and Asher was sent to Finland to take what they could. There he witnessed many atrocities, committing many himself in the heat of the moment, decisions he later regretted and again blamed the savagery on his wolf that poisoned his soul. Shortly before the Winter War ended, resulting in a bittersweet victory for the Soviets, Asher became separated from his company. Dodging the pervasive force of the Nazis, his wolf guided him into the Finnish wastes where he became lost and had become rabid with hunger by the time the Andras family had discovered him. Showing an unusual understanding of his condition and a unique scent Asher had never come across before, it wasn't long before they had him enthralled as their 'pet' and Asher was too much entwined in the spell of the daughter in particular to understand that he had been enslaved by a wealthy family of vampires. This is another time in Asher's life that he refrains from addressing as much of it is lost, the memories having been taken in by his wolf who had become quite attached to the mysterious youth who had held his head in her lap as he lay dying and who eventually nursed him back to health. But even though she was kind to him, she was a cruel, cold being to everyone else. She and her family had made many enemies in their vampiric courtly games, such is the way of things, and an usurper arranged their downfall. The interloper released Asher from his enthrallment, and in a vicious rampage, the werewolf hunted and disemboweled his former lover and every member of her family he encountered on their estate (as vampires tend to live together.) What was most likely days later, the young man awoke in a frosty field once again covered in the blood of his victims. The smell of vampire would take forever to fully be cleansed from his skin. It was after that period that he entered into a period of debauchery and pit fighting, possibly as a result of rejoicing from having returned from the precipice of death, possibly because the carnal exploits he shared with the daughter of the Andras vampires had given him a taste for sex and pain. He participated in the battles sometimes as a human and other times as a werewolf and earned a name for himself as Asher "The Demon" Donovan. And just when he was sure he had everything under control, his wolf appeared to sabotage it. When he became involved with an attractive and mysterious young woman, it soon became apparent that she was the thrall of a vicious, child-succubus who, in a terrible battle, chased the hapless werewolf to a nearby cathedral where a kindly priest tended to him. Hardly seeming to mind how Asher came to be there, particularly since he was frightened, nude, and hurt, it was soon revealed that this priest was also a werewolf and a member of the Cinocephali. After Asher's close brush with such a demonic creature, giving new life to the beliefs he had been raised with, also gave him a new lease on life and he began to study for priesthood under the tutelage of the Cinocephali. The Cinocephali were more than happy to adopt the wayward wolf, who now assumed the name of Asher Perculeone. He disavowed his life of sin and began his training as a priest. Shortly after receiving his collar, he was sent to an isolated community in Seattle, Washington where he was to become the chaplain of the resident church of the Amber Peace Mental Institution. He tutored a young girl named Autumn Isen, the two became very close friends and he began to develop a mild infatuation with her as she became of age. But, everything fell apart once her foster father, the head doctor of the establishment, discovered that she was a lycanthrope. He began to conduct cruel experiments upon her, and Asher forced himself to look the other way as it seemed that admitting the existence of her wolf would be acknowledging his own, thereby giving it power. He reported the incident to his superiors but fearful of feeding his growing infatuation (risking his position within the Church as well), isolated himself from her. But by the time, she had freed herself, his conscience had cleared itself too late, and the doctors had somehow figured out his secret. He was abducted and taken to an unknown location where he was subject to similar experimentation. It was here where he lost his eye to an overly-curious surgeon who wanted to see if it would grow back. Needless to say it didn't, and the silver in his utensils caused an infection that left scarring around the area beneath the socket. When the Cino finally caught wind of what was going on, Asher had already broken free and again made short work of those who had harmed him. His rehabilitation had to begin all over again. He was relocated to a recovery center in Cranbrook, British Columbia, where his progress pleased them so much that they appointed him a higher rank in the community. He now aids in the running of a local resource center in Chambury City, as well as a large Catholic church under the prestigious Bishop Reed. Random Facts -Asher is a closet masochist. He is somewhat aware of his affinity, but chooses not to acknowledge it. He tends to keep all passions deeply covered. -Asher's older brother Mikhail survived the War, and upon returning home became involved in a successful textile operation and was able to support his ailing mother for the remainder of her life. His father left the family soon after it became apparent that he wasn't aging as he should. The whereabouts of his father are unknown but it is assumed he is still alive somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Mikhail passed away in the 1960s never knowing what happened to his brother other than he had disappeared shortly after the body of the chambermaid was discovered. It was assumed that Asher was the killer or had also been killed. -Asher is shy about changing in front of others, just as he is shy about revealing the empty socket of his eye. Though he doesn't appear to lament its loss. -Asher does not repress his wolf because he disapproves of it, but because he feels he has to. His wolf is unusually aggressive, even for a werewolf, and thinks of nothing else but gratification when it is in charge. -Asher has always been good at feigning accents. He now mimics a subtle British one as a relic from when he first learned English in his youth. He speaks it fluently, however. When he is angry, his accent changes. Asher still speaks Russian, but it is clearly of an older dialect. He also knows how to read Latin (naturally) and speak some German which he picked up in World War II, though now much of it is lost. He also speaks Italian rather well and French to a lesser quality. -Because Asher is a hybrid (a naturally born werewolf whose parents are one human and one werewolf), he is unable to have children even with another of his kind. This has always bothered him and is something he is particularly sensitive about. Abilities Source: Magecraft Human: Arms (Rank 1) First Aid (Rank 2) Willful (Rank 2) Were: At-Will Shifting (Rank 2) Regeneration (Rank 1) Tough Hide (Rank 1) Survival Instincts (Rank 2) Redirection (Rank 2) Mystic: Spellcasting (Rank 1) Holy Touch Clan Abilities: Piety (Rank 1) Passion (Rank 1) Exorcism (Rank 1) Pack/Order Abilities (if applicable): Elder Abilities (if applicable): Descriptions For Alternate Forms Form: Animal Eye color: Aquamarine Height: 4'5" at shoulder Build: Lean, lanky Fur/scale color/pattern: Black with white chevron on chest, white tail tip Abilities: None Character Use You may use Asher for your challenges, but please refrain from maiming, killing, or putting him in sexual situations. Character Relationships RP Logs Category:NPCs Category:Benandanti Category:Cinocephali Category:Characters